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'''Irkutsk''' ({{lang-ru|Ирку́тск}}) is a [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|city]] and the [[administrative center]] of [[Irkutsk Oblast]], [[Russia]]; one of the largest cities in [[Siberia]]. Population: {{ru-census|p2010=587,200|p2002=593,604|p1989=622,301}}
'''Irkutsk''' ({{lang-ru|Ирку́тск}}) is a [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|city]] and the [[administrative center]] of [[Irkutsk Oblast]], Russia; one of the largest cities in [[Siberia]]. Population: {{ru-census|p2010=587,200|p2002=593,604|p1989=622,301}}


==History==
==History==
In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a ''zimovye'' (winter quarters) near the site of Irkutsk for gold-trading and for the collection of the [[Yasak|fur tax]] from the [[Buryats]]. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov built an ''[[ostrog (fortress|ostrog]]'' nearby.<ref name="Lantzeff" /> The ostrog gained official town rights from the government in 1686. The first road connection between [[Moscow]] and Irkutsk, the Siberian Road, was built in 1760. The town benefited economically from this new road. Many new products, often imported from [[China]] via [[Kyakhta]], were widely available in Irkutsk for the first time, including [[gold]], [[diamond]]s, [[fur]]s, [[wood]], [[silk]] and [[tea]]. In 1821, as part of the [[Mikhail Speransky|Speransky]] reforms, Siberia was administratively divided at the [[Yenisei River]] and Irkutsk became the seat of the Governor-General of East Siberia.
In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a ''zimovye'' (winter quarters) near the site of Irkutsk for gold-trading and for the collection of the [[Yasak|fur tax]] from the [[Buryats]]. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov built an ''[[ostrog (fortress|ostrog]]'' nearby.<ref name="Lantzeff" /> The ostrog gained official town rights from the government in 1686. The first road connection between Moscow and Irkutsk, the Siberian Road, was built in 1760. The town benefited economically from this new road. Many new products, often imported from China via [[Kyakhta]], were widely available in Irkutsk for the first time, including gold, diamonds, [[fur]]s, wood, silk and tea. In 1821, as part of the [[Mikhail Speransky|Speransky]] reforms, Siberia was administratively divided at the [[Yenisei River]] and Irkutsk became the seat of the Governor-General of East Siberia.
[[File:Irkutsk-club.jpg|thumb|left|275px|Irkutsk [[Assembly of the Nobility]] in the early 1900s]]
[[File:Irkutsk-club.jpg|thumb|left|275px|Irkutsk [[Assembly of the Nobility]] in the early 1900s]]


In the early 19th century, many Russian [[artist]]s, officers, and [[nobility|nobles]] were sent into [[exile]] to Siberia for their part in the [[Decembrist revolt]] against [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]]. Irkutsk became the major centre of intellectual and social life for these exiles, and much of the city's cultural heritage comes from them; many of their wooden houses, adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations, survive today in stark contrast with the standard [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] apartment blocks that surround them.
In the early 19th century, many Russian artists, officers, and [[nobility|nobles]] were sent into [[exile]] to Siberia for their part in the [[Decembrist revolt]] against [[Nicholas I of Russia|Tsar Nicholas I]]. Irkutsk became the major centre of intellectual and social life for these exiles, and much of the city's cultural heritage comes from them; many of their wooden houses, adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations, survive today in stark contrast with the standard [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] apartment blocks that surround them.


By the end of the 19th century there was one exiled man per two locals. Different people from the members of the Decemberists' uprising to Bolsheviks have been staying in Irkutsk for a long time. These people have greatly influenced the culture and the development of the city and it has finally became a prosperous cultural and educational centre for [[Eastern Siberia]].
By the end of the 19th century there was one exiled man per two locals. Different people from the members of the Decemberists' uprising to Bolsheviks have been staying in Irkutsk for a long time. These people have greatly influenced the culture and the development of the city and it has finally became a prosperous cultural and educational centre for [[Eastern Siberia]].


1879, on July 4 and&nbsp;6, the palace of the (then) Governor General, the principal administrative and municipal offices and many of the other public buildings were destroyed by fire; and the government [[archive]]s, the [[library]] and the [[museum]] of the Siberian section of the [[Russian Geographical Society]] were utterly ruined. Three quarters of the city were destroyed, including approximately four thousand houses. However, the city quickly rebounded, with electricity arriving in 1896, the first theater being built in 1897, and a major train station in 1898. The first train arrived in Irkutsk on August 16 of that year. By 1900, the city had earned the [[nickname]] "The [[Paris]] of Siberia."
On 4 and 6 July 1879, the palace of the (then) Governor General, the principal administrative and municipal offices and many of the other public buildings were destroyed by fire; and the government [[archive]]s, the library and the museum of the Siberian section of the [[Russian Geographical Society]] were utterly ruined. Three quarters of the city were destroyed, including approximately four thousand houses. However, the city quickly rebounded, with electricity arriving in 1896, the first theater being built in 1897, and a major train station in 1898. The first train arrived in Irkutsk on August 16 of that year. By 1900, the city had earned the nickname "The Paris of Siberia."


During the [[Russian Civil War]] that broke out after the [[Bolshevik Revolution]], Irkutsk became the site of many furious, bloody clashes between the "[[White movement|Whites]]" and the "[[Bolsheviks|Reds]]". In 1920, [[Aleksandr Kolchak|Kolchak]], the once-feared commander of the largest contingent of anti-Bolshevik forces, was executed there, effectively destroying the anti-Bolshevik resistance.
During the [[Russian Civil War]] that broke out after the [[Bolshevik Revolution]], Irkutsk became the site of many furious, bloody clashes between the "[[White movement|Whites]]" and the "[[Bolsheviks|Reds]]". In 1920, [[Aleksandr Kolchak|Kolchak]], the once-feared commander of the largest contingent of anti-Bolshevik forces, was executed there, effectively destroying the anti-Bolshevik resistance.
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==Geography==
==Geography==
The city proper lies at the [[Angara River]], a [[tributary]] of the [[Yenisei River|Yenisei]], {{km to mi|72}} below its outflow from [[Lake Baikal]], and on the bank opposite the [[suburb]] of Glaskovsk. The river, {{m to ft|580}} wide, is crossed by the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Dam (плотина ГЭС) and three other bridges downstream.
The city proper lies at the [[Angara River]], a [[tributary]] of the [[Yenisei River|Yenisei]], {{km to mi|72}} below its outflow from [[Lake Baikal]], and on the bank opposite the suburb of Glaskovsk. The river, {{m to ft|580}} wide, is crossed by the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Dam (плотина ГЭС) and three other bridges downstream.


The [[Irkut River]], from which the town takes its name, is a smaller river which joins the Angara directly opposite the city. The main portion of the city is separated from several landmarks—the [[monastery]], the [[fort]], and the [[port]], as well as its suburbs by another tributary, the Ida, or Ushakovka River. Additionally, the two main parts of Irkutsk are customarily referred to as "the left bank" and "the right bank", with respect to the flow of the Angara river.
The [[Irkut River]], from which the town takes its name, is a smaller river which joins the Angara directly opposite the city. The main portion of the city is separated from several landmarks—the [[monastery]], the [[fort]], and the port, as well as its suburbs by another tributary, the Ida, or Ushakovka River. Additionally, the two main parts of Irkutsk are customarily referred to as "the left bank" and "the right bank", with respect to the flow of the Angara river.


Irkutsk is situated in a landscape of rolling hills within the thick [[taiga]], typical of eastern Siberia.
Irkutsk is situated in a landscape of rolling hills within the thick [[taiga]], typical of eastern Siberia.
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}}
}}


Irkutsk has a borderline [[subarctic climate]] (Köppen climate classification Dwc), just short of a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfb''), characterized by extreme variation of temperatures between seasons. Temperatures can be very warm in the summer, and very cold in the winter. However, Lake Baikal takes its effect, such that temperatures in Irkutsk are not as extreme as elsewhere in Siberia. The warmest month of the year in Irkutsk is July, when the mean temperature is {{C to F|18}}, the highest temperature recorded being 37 C. The coldest month of the year is January, when the mean temperature is {{C to F|−19}}. [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] also varies widely throughout the year, with the wettest month also being July, when precipitation averages 119&nbsp;mm (4.70&nbsp;in). The driest month is February, when precipitation averages only 7.6&nbsp;mm (.30&nbsp;in). Almost all precipitation during the Siberian winter falls as fluffy, low moisture content snow.
Irkutsk has a borderline [[subarctic climate]] (Köppen climate classification Dwc), just short of a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfb''), characterized by extreme variation of temperatures between seasons. Temperatures can be very warm in the summer, and very cold in the winter. However, Lake Baikal takes its effect, such that temperatures in Irkutsk are not as extreme as elsewhere in Siberia. The warmest month of the year in Irkutsk is July, when the mean temperature is {{C to F|18}}, the highest temperature recorded being 37 C. The coldest month of the year is January, when the mean temperature is {{C to F|−19}}. [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] also varies widely throughout the year, with the wettest month also being July, when precipitation averages 119&nbsp;mm (4.70&nbsp;in). The driest month is February, when precipitation averages only 7.6&nbsp;mm (.30&nbsp;in). Almost all precipitation during the Siberian winter falls as fluffy, low moisture content snow.


<br clear=all>
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==Economy==
==Economy==
===Energy===
===Energy===
The 662.4 MW [[Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station]] was the first cascade hydroelectric power station in the Irkutsk region. The building of the dam was started in 1950 and finished in 1958.<ref name= "his">{{cite web|title=Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station History|url=http://en.irkutskenergo.ru/qa/1008.2.html|publisher=Irkutskenergo|accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref>
The 662.4 MW [[Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station]] was the first cascade hydroelectric power station in the Irkutsk region. The building of the dam was started in 1950 and finished in 1958.<ref name= "his">{{cite web|title=Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station History|url=http://en.irkutskenergo.ru/qa/1008.2.html|publisher=Irkutskenergo|accessdate=September 7, 2010}}</ref>


===Industry===
===Industry===
The most famous large-scale industry in Irkutsk is [[Irkut (company)]]. Irkut <ref>[http://www.irkut.com/en/ Home page (English)]</ref> ({{MICEX|IRKT}} {{RTS|IRKT}}) refers to the Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association,<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/iaia.htm globalsecurity.org entry]</ref> it was set up in 1932 in the [[Transbaykal|Transbaykal region]] of the [[Soviet Union]]. It is best known as being the manufacturer of the [[Su-30]] family of [[interceptor aircraft|interceptor]]/[[ground-attack aircraft]]. The Russian government is planning to merge Irkut with '''[[Ilyushin]]''', '''[[Mikoyan]]''', '''[[Sukhoi]]''', '''[[Tupolev]]''', and '''[[Yakovlev]]''' as a new company named '''[[United Aircraft Building Corporation]]'''.<ref name="nyt_united_aircraft">"[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/business/worldbusiness/22air.html?_r=1&oref=login Russian Aircraft Industry Seeks Revival Through Merger]." ''[[The New York Times]].'' February 22, 2006</ref>
The most famous large-scale industry in Irkutsk is [[Irkut (company)]]. Irkut<ref>[http://www.irkut.com/en/ Home page (English)]</ref> ({{MICEX|IRKT}} {{RTS|IRKT}}) refers to the Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association,<ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/iaia.htm globalsecurity.org entry]</ref> it was set up in 1932 in the [[Transbaykal|Transbaykal region]] of the [[Soviet Union]]. It is best known as being the manufacturer of the [[Su-30]] family of [[interceptor aircraft|interceptor]]/[[ground-attack aircraft]]. The Russian government is planning to merge Irkut with '''[[Ilyushin]]''', '''[[Mikoyan]]''', '''[[Sukhoi]]''', '''[[Tupolev]]''', and '''[[Yakovlev]]''' as a new company named '''[[United Aircraft Building Corporation]]'''.<ref name="nyt_united_aircraft">"[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/business/worldbusiness/22air.html?_r=1&oref=login Russian Aircraft Industry Seeks Revival Through Merger]." ''[[The New York Times]].'' February 22, 2006</ref>


There is Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter which belongs to the [[Rusal]] Company.[http://www.rusal.ru/en/irkaz_factory.aspx]
There is Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter which belongs to the [[Rusal]] Company.[http://www.rusal.ru/en/irkaz_factory.aspx]


==Transport==
==Transport==
[[File:Irkutsk-Passagirsky.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Passenger [[railway]] station in Irkutsk]]
[[File:Irkutsk-Passagirsky.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Passenger railway station in Irkutsk]]


Important roads and railways like the [[Trans-Siberian Highway]] (Federal [[M53 highway (Russia)|M53]] and [[M55 highway (Russia)|M55]] Highways) and [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and [[Mongolia]]. Also, the city is served by the [[Irkutsk International Airport]] and the smaller [[Irkutsk Northwest Airport]].
Important roads and railways like the [[Trans-Siberian Highway]] (Federal [[M53 highway (Russia)|M53]] and [[M55 highway (Russia)|M55]] Highways) and [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and [[Mongolia]]. Also, the city is served by the [[Irkutsk International Airport]] and the smaller [[Irkutsk Northwest Airport]].


The Federal road and railway to [[Moscow]] and [[Vladivostok]] pass through the other side of the Angara River from [[downtown]] Irkutsk.
The Federal road and railway to Moscow and [[Vladivostok]] pass through the other side of the Angara River from downtown Irkutsk.


==Culture==
==Culture==
===Television and mass media===
===Television and mass media===
There are many state and privately owned television stations in Irkutsk, including state IGTRK company http://irkutsk.rfn.ru and private ones http://as.baikal.tv AS Baikal TV, TV company AIST http://www.aisttv.ru, TV company Gorod http://www.gorodtv.ru, and e.g. http://www.vsp.ru VSP newspaper agency.
There are many state and privately owned television stations in Irkutsk, including state IGTRK company http://irkutsk.rfn.ru and private ones http://as.baikal.tv AS Baikal TV, TV company AIST http://www.aisttv.ru, TV company Gorod http://www.gorodtv.ru, and e.g. http://www.vsp.ru VSP newspaper agency.
Irkutsk live webcamera inlc. life temperature in city center: http://as.baikal.tv/webcam/
Irkutsk live webcamera inlc. life temperature in city center: http://as.baikal.tv/webcam/


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[[File:Bgisu boy.jpg|thumb|In the greenhouse of the Botanic Garden of Irkutsk State University]]
[[File:Bgisu boy.jpg|thumb|In the greenhouse of the Botanic Garden of Irkutsk State University]]


The [[Taltsy Museum]] ({{lang-ru|[[:ru:Тальцы|Тальцы]]}}), located on the Angara 47&nbsp;km south of Irkutsk, is an open-air museum of Siberian [[vernacular architecture|traditional architecture]]. Numerous old wooden buildings from villages in the Angara valley which have been flooded after the construction of the [[Bratsk Dam]] and [[Ust-Ilimsk Dam]] have been transported to the museum and reassembled there. One of the centerpieces of the collection is a partial recreation of the 17th-century ''ostrog'' (fortress) of Ilimsk, which consists of the original Spasskaya Tower and the Church of Our Lady of Kazan transported from the flooded ''ostrog'' in the mid-1970s, to which an exact modern copy of another tower of the ''ostrog'' and the southern wall of the fortress were added in the early 2000s.<ref>[http://babr.ru/?pt=news&event=v1&IDE=3423 В «Тальцах» завершается реконструкция южной стены Илимского острога] (Re-creation of the southern wall of the Ilimsk ''ostrog'' in the Taltsy Museum is approaching its completion) {{Ru icon}}</ref>
The [[Taltsy Museum]] ({{lang-ru|[[:ru:Тальцы|Тальцы]]}}), located on the Angara 47&nbsp;km south of Irkutsk, is an open-air museum of Siberian [[vernacular architecture|traditional architecture]]. Numerous old wooden buildings from villages in the Angara valley which have been flooded after the construction of the [[Bratsk Dam]] and [[Ust-Ilimsk Dam]] have been transported to the museum and reassembled there. One of the centerpieces of the collection is a partial recreation of the 17th-century ''ostrog'' (fortress) of Ilimsk, which consists of the original Spasskaya Tower and the Church of Our Lady of Kazan transported from the flooded ''ostrog'' in the mid-1970s, to which an exact modern copy of another tower of the ''ostrog'' and the southern wall of the fortress were added in the early 2000s.<ref>[http://babr.ru/?pt=news&event=v1&IDE=3423 В «Тальцах» завершается реконструкция южной стены Илимского острога] (Re-creation of the southern wall of the Ilimsk ''ostrog'' in the Taltsy Museum is approaching its completion) {{Ru icon}}</ref>
The [[Botanic Garden of the Irkutsk State University]] known as the "Irkutsk Botanic Garden" is the only [[botanic garden]] as a living [[museum]] in Irkutsk Oblast and Baikalian [[Siberia]]. Its mission is "to protect and enrich the flora of the [[Lake Baikal]] area and the world for people through public education, collection, propagation, research, and conservation of plants". The garden is principally an educational and scientific tool for the [[Irkutsk State University]] and maintains largest plant collection of living plants in Eastern [[Siberia]] (more than 5000 plant taxa), a herbarium, and a seed bank. It occupies 27 hectares within Irkutsk city, 70 kilometers west of [[Lake Baikal]]. It has a status of the federal strictly protected land and a nature memorial of Irkutsk.
The [[Botanic Garden of the Irkutsk State University]] known as the "Irkutsk Botanic Garden" is the only [[botanic garden]] as a living museum in Irkutsk Oblast and Baikalian [[Siberia]]. Its mission is "to protect and enrich the flora of the [[Lake Baikal]] area and the world for people through public education, collection, propagation, research, and conservation of plants". The garden is principally an educational and scientific tool for the [[Irkutsk State University]] and maintains largest plant collection of living plants in Eastern [[Siberia]] (more than 5000 plant taxa), a herbarium, and a seed bank. It occupies 27 hectares within Irkutsk city, 70 kilometers west of [[Lake Baikal]]. It has a status of the federal strictly protected land and a nature memorial of Irkutsk.


==Sports==
==Sports==
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==Sister cities/Twin Cities==
==Sister cities/Twin Cities==
Irkutsk has the following [[Town twinning|sister/twin city]] relationships:<ref>[http://www.cbs.irkutsk.ru/brat.htm Irkutsk sister cities]</ref>
Irkutsk has the following [[Town twinning|sister/twin city]] relationships:<ref>[http://www.cbs.irkutsk.ru/brat.htm Irkutsk sister cities]</ref>
*{{flagicon|Mongolia}} [[Ulan Bator]], [[Mongolia]]
*{{flagicon|Mongolia}} [[Ulan Bator]], Mongolia
*{{flagicon|China}} [[Shenyang]], [[China]]
*{{flagicon|China}} [[Shenyang]], China
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kanazawa, Ishikawa|Kanazawa]], [[Japan]]
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kanazawa, Ishikawa|Kanazawa]], Japan
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], [[United States|U.S.A.]]
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], USA
*{{flagicon|Serbia}} [[Novi Sad]], [[Serbia]]
*{{flagicon|Serbia}} [[Novi Sad]], Serbia
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Pforzheim]], [[Germany]]
*{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Pforzheim]], Germany
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Évian-les-Bains]], [[France]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Évian-les-Bains]], France
*{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Strömsund]], [[Sweden]]
*{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Strömsund]], Sweden
*{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Pordenone]], [[Italy]]
*{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Pordenone]], Italy
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Grenoble]], [[France]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Grenoble]], France
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Dijon]], [[France]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Dijon]], France


==Images gallery==
==Images gallery==
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===Additional sources===
===Additional sources===
*{{1911}}
*{{1911}}
*{{German|Irkutsk|10 July 2006}}
*{{German|Irkutsk|July 10, 2006}}
*Brumfield, William. ''Irkutsk: Architectural Heritage in Photographs'' // Moscow: Tri Kvadrata Publishing, 2006. ISBN 9785946070614
*Brumfield, William. ''Irkutsk: Architectural Heritage in Photographs'' // Moscow: Tri Kvadrata Publishing, 2006. ISBN 9785946070614
*{{nobr|Polunina N.M., Korobov S.A., Sutton J.M., Korobova G.W.}} Her Majesty&nbsp;— Queen of Siberia // Publishers Korobov.&nbsp;— Irkutsk, 2008.
*{{nobr|Polunina N.M., Korobov S.A., Sutton J.M., Korobova G.W.}} Her Majesty&nbsp;— Queen of Siberia // Publishers Korobov.&nbsp;— Irkutsk, 2008.


Revision as of 15:45, 14 May 2011

For other uses, see Irkutsk (disambiguation).
Irkutsk
Иркутск
City
Irkutsk at night
Irkutsk at night
Flag of Irkutsk
Flag
Coat of arms of Irkutsk
Coat of arms
Location of Irkutsk
Map
Irkutsk is located in Russia
Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Location of Irkutsk
Irkutsk is located in Irkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk (Irkutsk Oblast)
Coordinates: 52°17′N 104°18′E / 52.283°N 104.300°E / 52.283; 104.300
CountryRussia
Federal subjectIrkutsk Oblast
Founded1661[1]
Government
 • BodyDuma
 • MayorViktor Kondrashov
Elevation
440 m (1,440 ft)
Population
 (2010 Census)[2]
 • Total587,200
 • Rank24th in 2010
 • Capital ofIrkutsk Oblast, Irkutsky District
 • Urban okrugIrkutsk Urban Okrug
Time zoneUTC+8 (MSK+5 Edit this on Wikidata[3])
Postal code(s)[4]
664xxx
Dialing code(s)+7 3952[5]
OKTMO ID25701000001
City DayFirst Sunday of June
Websitewww1.irkutsk.ru

Irkutsk (Russian: Ирку́тск) is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia; one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: 587,200 (2010 Census);[2] 593,604 (2002 Census);[7] 622,301 (1989 Soviet census).[8]

History

In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye (winter quarters) near the site of Irkutsk for gold-trading and for the collection of the fur tax from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov built an ostrog nearby.[1] The ostrog gained official town rights from the government in 1686. The first road connection between Moscow and Irkutsk, the Siberian Road, was built in 1760. The town benefited economically from this new road. Many new products, often imported from China via Kyakhta, were widely available in Irkutsk for the first time, including gold, diamonds, furs, wood, silk and tea. In 1821, as part of the Speransky reforms, Siberia was administratively divided at the Yenisei River and Irkutsk became the seat of the Governor-General of East Siberia.

Irkutsk Assembly of the Nobility in the early 1900s

In the early 19th century, many Russian artists, officers, and nobles were sent into exile to Siberia for their part in the Decembrist revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. Irkutsk became the major centre of intellectual and social life for these exiles, and much of the city's cultural heritage comes from them; many of their wooden houses, adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations, survive today in stark contrast with the standard Soviet apartment blocks that surround them.

By the end of the 19th century there was one exiled man per two locals. Different people from the members of the Decemberists' uprising to Bolsheviks have been staying in Irkutsk for a long time. These people have greatly influenced the culture and the development of the city and it has finally became a prosperous cultural and educational centre for Eastern Siberia.

On 4 and 6 July 1879, the palace of the (then) Governor General, the principal administrative and municipal offices and many of the other public buildings were destroyed by fire; and the government archives, the library and the museum of the Siberian section of the Russian Geographical Society were utterly ruined. Three quarters of the city were destroyed, including approximately four thousand houses. However, the city quickly rebounded, with electricity arriving in 1896, the first theater being built in 1897, and a major train station in 1898. The first train arrived in Irkutsk on August 16 of that year. By 1900, the city had earned the nickname "The Paris of Siberia."

During the Russian Civil War that broke out after the Bolshevik Revolution, Irkutsk became the site of many furious, bloody clashes between the "Whites" and the "Reds". In 1920, Kolchak, the once-feared commander of the largest contingent of anti-Bolshevik forces, was executed there, effectively destroying the anti-Bolshevik resistance.

During the Communist years, the industrialization of Irkutsk, and Siberia in general, was heavily encouraged. The large Irkutsk Reservoir was built on the Angara River between 1950 and 1959 in order to facilitate industrial development.

Epiphany Cathedral (built in 1718–1746)

The Epiphany Cathedral (left), the governor's palace, a school of medicine, a museum, a military hospital and the crown factories are among the public institutions and buildings. The Alexander Kolchak monument, designed by Vyacheslav Klykov, was unveiled in 2004. On July 27, 2004, the Irkutsk Synagogue (1881) was gutted by a conflagration.

Geography

The city proper lies at the Angara River, a tributary of the Yenisei, Template:Km to mi below its outflow from Lake Baikal, and on the bank opposite the suburb of Glaskovsk. The river, Template:M to ft wide, is crossed by the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Dam (плотина ГЭС) and three other bridges downstream.

The Irkut River, from which the town takes its name, is a smaller river which joins the Angara directly opposite the city. The main portion of the city is separated from several landmarks—the monastery, the fort, and the port, as well as its suburbs by another tributary, the Ida, or Ushakovka River. Additionally, the two main parts of Irkutsk are customarily referred to as "the left bank" and "the right bank", with respect to the flow of the Angara river.

Irkutsk is situated in a landscape of rolling hills within the thick taiga, typical of eastern Siberia.

According to the regional plan Irkutsk city will be combined it's neighboring industrial towns of Shelekhov and Angarsk to form a metropolitan area with a total population of over a million.

Climate

Irkutsk
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
12
 
 
−15
−25
 
 
9
 
 
−11
−23
 
 
13
 
 
−2
−16
 
 
19
 
 
8
−5
 
 
33
 
 
16
2
 
 
62
 
 
23
8
 
 
120
 
 
25
11
 
 
86
 
 
22
9
 
 
50
 
 
15
3
 
 
30
 
 
7
−4
 
 
18
 
 
−4
−15
 
 
19
 
 
−13
−23
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Pogoda.ru.net[9]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.5
 
 
5
−13
 
 
0.4
 
 
13
−10
 
 
0.5
 
 
29
4
 
 
0.7
 
 
46
23
 
 
1.3
 
 
61
35
 
 
2.4
 
 
73
46
 
 
4.7
 
 
76
53
 
 
3.4
 
 
72
49
 
 
2
 
 
60
37
 
 
1.2
 
 
45
24
 
 
0.7
 
 
24
5
 
 
0.7
 
 
9
−9
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Irkutsk has a borderline subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwc), just short of a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), characterized by extreme variation of temperatures between seasons. Temperatures can be very warm in the summer, and very cold in the winter. However, Lake Baikal takes its effect, such that temperatures in Irkutsk are not as extreme as elsewhere in Siberia. The warmest month of the year in Irkutsk is July, when the mean temperature is Template:C to F, the highest temperature recorded being 37 C. The coldest month of the year is January, when the mean temperature is Template:C to F. Precipitation also varies widely throughout the year, with the wettest month also being July, when precipitation averages 119 mm (4.70 in). The driest month is February, when precipitation averages only 7.6 mm (.30 in). Almost all precipitation during the Siberian winter falls as fluffy, low moisture content snow.


Climate data for Irkutsk (normals 1971−2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 2.3
(36.1) 		10.2
(50.4) 		20.0
(68.0) 		29.2
(84.6) 		34.5
(94.1) 		35.0
(95.0) 		37.2
(99.0) 		34.1
(93.4) 		29.5
(85.1) 		25.6
(78.1) 		14.1
(57.4) 		4.6
(40.3) 		37.2
(99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −14.8
(5.4) 		−10.5
(13.1) 		−1.7
(28.9) 		7.9
(46.2) 		16.3
(61.3) 		22.6
(72.7) 		24.6
(76.3) 		22.0
(71.6) 		15.3
(59.5) 		7.1
(44.8) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		−12.9
(8.8) 		6.1
(43.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −25.1
(−13.2) 		−23.4
(−10.1) 		−15.8
(3.6) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		1.6
(34.9) 		7.6
(45.7) 		11.4
(52.5) 		9.3
(48.7) 		2.6
(36.7) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		−14.9
(5.2) 		−22.7
(−8.9) 		−6.5
(20.3)
Record low °C (°F) −49.7
(−57.5) 		−44.7
(−48.5) 		−37.3
(−35.1) 		−31.8
(−25.2) 		−14.3
(6.3) 		−6
(21) 		0.4
(32.7) 		−2.7
(27.1) 		−11.9
(10.6) 		−30.5
(−22.9) 		−40.4
(−40.7) 		−46.3
(−51.3) 		−49.7
(−57.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 12
(0.5) 		9
(0.4) 		13
(0.5) 		19
(0.7) 		33
(1.3) 		62
(2.4) 		120
(4.7) 		86
(3.4) 		50
(2.0) 		30
(1.2) 		18
(0.7) 		19
(0.7) 		471
(18.5)
Source: Pogoda.ru.net[9]

Coat of arms

The original version of the coat of arms

The coat of arms of Irkutsk features an old symbol of Dauria: a Siberian tiger with a sable in his mouth. When the coat of arms was devised in 1690, the animal was described as a tiger ("babr", a bookish word of Persian derivation) with a sable in his mouth. This image had been used by the Yakutsk customs office from about 1642. It has its origin in a seal of the Siberia Khanate representing a sable and showcasing the fact that Siberia (or rather Yugra) was the main source of sable fur throughout the Middle Ages. (Actually, the English word "sable" is derived from the Russian "sobol").

By the mid-19th century, the word "babr" had fallen out of common usage, but it was still recorded in the Armorial of the Russian Empire. Furthermore, the tigers became extinct in this part of Siberia. In the 1870s, a high-placed French heraldist with a limited command of Russian assumed that "babr" was a misspelling of "bobr", the Russian word for "beaver", and changed the wording accordingly. This modification engendered a long dispute between the local authorities, who were so confused by the revised description that they started to depict the "babr" as a fabulous animal, half-tiger and half-beaver.

The Soviets abolished the image altogether, but it was restored following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Economy

Energy

The 662.4 MW Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station was the first cascade hydroelectric power station in the Irkutsk region. The building of the dam was started in 1950 and finished in 1958.[10]

Industry

The most famous large-scale industry in Irkutsk is Irkut (company). Irkut[11] (MCX: IRKT MCX: IRKT) refers to the Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association,[12] it was set up in 1932 in the Transbaykal region of the Soviet Union. It is best known as being the manufacturer of the Su-30 family of interceptor/ground-attack aircraft. The Russian government is planning to merge Irkut with Ilyushin, Mikoyan, Sukhoi, Tupolev, and Yakovlev as a new company named United Aircraft Building Corporation.[13]

There is Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter which belongs to the Rusal Company.[1]

Transport

Passenger railway station in Irkutsk

Important roads and railways like the Trans-Siberian Highway (Federal M53 and M55 Highways) and Trans-Siberian Railway connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and Mongolia. Also, the city is served by the Irkutsk International Airport and the smaller Irkutsk Northwest Airport.

The Federal road and railway to Moscow and Vladivostok pass through the other side of the Angara River from downtown Irkutsk.

Culture

Television and mass media

There are many state and privately owned television stations in Irkutsk, including state IGTRK company http://irkutsk.rfn.ru and private ones http://as.baikal.tv AS Baikal TV, TV company AIST http://www.aisttv.ru, TV company Gorod http://www.gorodtv.ru, and e.g. http://www.vsp.ru VSP newspaper agency. Irkutsk live webcamera inlc. life temperature in city center: http://as.baikal.tv/webcam/

Education

Irkutsk is home to East Siberian Education Academy (since 1909), Irkutsk State University (1918), Irkutsk State Medical University (1918), Baykalsky State University of Economics and Law (since 1932), Irkutsk State Technical University (since 1939), Irkutsk State Academy of Agriculture, Irkutsk State Linguistic University (1948), Irkutsk State Railway Transport University (since 1975), and a number of private colleges: Siberian Institute of Law, Economics and Management (since 1993), Institute of Economics of ISTU (since 1996), and others.

Science

As part of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences there are nine research institutes located in the Irkutsk Academgorodok suburb: Institute of Geography, Energy Systems Institute, Institute of Geochemistry, Institute of Systems Dynamics and Control Theory, Earth's Crust Institute, solar-terrestrial physics institute, Institute of Chemistry, Institute of Limnology (located on lake Baikal's shore), Institute of Plants Physics, Laser Physics Institute (Branch of the Novosibirsk-based Institute). A number of institutes conduct research within Irkutsk State University: Institute of Biology, Institute of Oil and Coal Chemistry and Synthesis, Laboratory of Quantum Chemistry, Institute of Applied Physics, Interregional Institute of Social Studies, Astronomical Observatory, and Botanical Gardens. The East-Siberian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences is also located in Irkutsk and is represented by the following research organizations: Scientific Center for medical Ecology, Institute for Paediatrics and Human Reproduction, Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology, Institute for Medicine of the Workplace and Human Ecology, Institute of Reconstructive and Restorative Surgery, Institute of Surgery, and Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics. Also, the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Scientific and Technical Center has a branch in Irkutsk. Additionally, there are R&D institutes including GAZPROM R&D Institute (Branch of Moscow-based Institute), Irkutsk Institute of Rare and Precious Metals and Diamonds.

Literature

Irkutsk has long been home to the well-known Russian writer Valentin Rasputin; many of his novels and stories take place in the Angara Valley. An essay on the cultural history of Irkutsk (and another one about the nearby Lake Baikal) is included in Rasputin's non-fiction collection Siberia, Siberia, which is also available in English translation.

Museums

File:Bgisu boy.jpg
In the greenhouse of the Botanic Garden of Irkutsk State University

The Taltsy Museum (Russian: Тальцы), located on the Angara 47 km south of Irkutsk, is an open-air museum of Siberian traditional architecture. Numerous old wooden buildings from villages in the Angara valley which have been flooded after the construction of the Bratsk Dam and Ust-Ilimsk Dam have been transported to the museum and reassembled there. One of the centerpieces of the collection is a partial recreation of the 17th-century ostrog (fortress) of Ilimsk, which consists of the original Spasskaya Tower and the Church of Our Lady of Kazan transported from the flooded ostrog in the mid-1970s, to which an exact modern copy of another tower of the ostrog and the southern wall of the fortress were added in the early 2000s.[14] The Botanic Garden of the Irkutsk State University known as the "Irkutsk Botanic Garden" is the only botanic garden as a living museum in Irkutsk Oblast and Baikalian Siberia. Its mission is "to protect and enrich the flora of the Lake Baikal area and the world for people through public education, collection, propagation, research, and conservation of plants". The garden is principally an educational and scientific tool for the Irkutsk State University and maintains largest plant collection of living plants in Eastern Siberia (more than 5000 plant taxa), a herbarium, and a seed bank. It occupies 27 hectares within Irkutsk city, 70 kilometers west of Lake Baikal. It has a status of the federal strictly protected land and a nature memorial of Irkutsk.

Sports

Bandy is a very big sport in the city. There are several clubs, and the best one, Baykal-Energiya[15] in the highest division of Russian Bandy League, can draw spectator crowds of 30 000.[2] It's also the centre of women's bandy in Russia with the club Rekord.[3]

Sister cities/Twin Cities

Irkutsk has the following sister/twin city relationships:[16]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Lantzeff, George V., and Richard A. Pierce (1973). Eastward to Empire: Exploration and Conquest on the Russian Open Frontier, to 1750. Montreal eduacadtion: McGill-Queen's U.P.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  3. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  4. ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  5. ^ http://www.the-acr.com/codes/cntrycd2.htm#q
  6. ^ Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
  7. ^ Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
  8. ^ Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
  9. ^ a b "Pogoda.ru.net" (in Russian). Retrieved September 8, 2007. [dead link]
  10. ^ "Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station History". Irkutskenergo. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  11. ^ Home page (English)
  12. ^ globalsecurity.org entry
  13. ^ "Russian Aircraft Industry Seeks Revival Through Merger." The New York Times. February 22, 2006
  14. ^ В «Тальцах» завершается реконструкция южной стены Илимского острога (Re-creation of the southern wall of the Ilimsk ostrog in the Taltsy Museum is approaching its completion) Template:Ru icon
  15. ^ http://www.baikal-energy.ru/
  16. ^ Irkutsk sister cities

Additional sources

  • Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Template:German
  • Brumfield, William. Irkutsk: Architectural Heritage in Photographs // Moscow: Tri Kvadrata Publishing, 2006. ISBN 9785946070614
  • Polunina N.M., Korobov S.A., Sutton J.M., Korobova G.W. Her Majesty — Queen of Siberia // Publishers Korobov. — Irkutsk, 2008.
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